Cartouche
by No Blood For Oil
Summary: A prophecy foretelling the rise of Ancient Egypt once again has set in motion a chain of events which threatens to obliterate our world as we know it. Wufei schemes, and Heero gets found out. *UPDATED*
1. 1Prologue

"Cartouche"  
  
by Makura Kirei  
  
Summary: An ancient prophecy foretelling the rise of Ancient Egypt has set in motion a chain of events that threatens to obliterate our world as we know it. The cartouches of four mysterious people have been uncovered in Tutankhamun's tomb. Next to the cartouches, the prophecy is written. What connection have these four cartouches to the prophecy? Who are the four mysterious people? And what is the prophecy? Stay tuned…  
  
Tutankhamun's tomb  
  
Place: Cairo, Egypt.  
  
Time: 11:52 am  
  
Year: 2002  
  
She could feel the heat rising as she toiled in the fluorescent light of her lamp. She had worked ceaselessly from dusk until dawn, and it was almost midday. She checked her watch. It read 11:52. She sighed, straightened up from where she had crouched, and stretched.  
  
Name: Marielle Stein  
  
Age: 22  
  
Occupation: Student-archaeologist  
  
When she had gotten the call from her history professor, she was thrilled. Not many got a chance to work alongside professional archaeologists, excavating Tutankhamun's tomb. She jumped at the chance, helping the other archaeologists translating some of the many hieroglyphs on the walls of his tomb in an effort to completely catalogue the famous king's burial place. She had traveled here a week ago, and had managed to translate almost half of a small wall that she was working on.  
  
The hieroglyphs she was working on seemed unimportant; merely an account of the king's everyday life. But here and there, the same hieroglyphs popped up. Translated, they read, 'the prophecy'. A small section mentioned the mysterious prophecy and the rise of ancient Egypt once again. Marielle attributed this to the fact that Tutankhamun's 'heretic' father, Akhenaten, had almost led Egypt to ruin, and the people of Egypt were still recovering from his disastrous rule. Perhaps it was just a testament to the will and power of ancient Egypt, no matter what would happen.  
  
Actually, for the past few days she had become bored; uninterested. She wanted to find something that would rock the very foundations of the scientific world, and so far, she had found very little. All she had found was that the king enjoyed (gasp) archery. She had become discouraged; her hopes and dreams seemed as unattainable as ever. But, for some reason, today had felt different. Today had felt…special. Maybe that was the reason she was working so hard. Marielle could feel it in the air; something big was going to happen.  
  
Marielle looked at her watch again: 11:55. She had wasted three minutes thinking. Only five more minutes until her lunch break. She had better finish up. Stooping down, she took a quick look at the last section of the wall. Her eyes scanned over it: nothing unusual. But, suddenly, three cartouches…no, six…no, eight cartouches popped into her line of vision. 'Eight cartouches?' Marielle thought, puzzled. 'That's weird.' She focused on the first four of the cartouches: Tutankhamun, Ankhesenamun, Aye and Horemheb. 'Oh well.' Disappointed, she moved on to the last four.  
  
The first cartouche…well, it was not like any Marielle had seen. The hieroglyphs didn't add up. Marielle ran trough the hieroglyphs. "He…ie…ro…Heero…What? This is impossible. There was no mention of a royal named Heero; it's not even an Egyptian name. So why is it here? Odd…" Marielle thought aloud, trailing off. She could feel her senses tingling, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. 'This could be it. This could be my big break.' She thought excitedly, moving on to the next cartouche. "Hoh..t…ru… Hotaru? That's even less of an Egyptian name than the first. Who are these people?" She wondered aloud again. Her blood coursed through her veins as her shaking fingers moved on to the next cartouche. "Wuh…fah..ie...Wufei? What is going on here? Dh…uu…o…Duo? Omigod…is that what I think it is?" Marielle exclaimed, her eyes falling upon the mysterious prophecy again.  
  
"When the prophecy is realized, history will repeat itself. Egypt will rise again to welcome its ruler once more; long live Pharaoh! Long live Tutankhamun! Long live Ankhesenamun! May you live well in your new world, for Amun himself smiles upon you!" Marielle finished. Her head pounded and her vision blurred. With a shaking hand, she traced the cartouches of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun. Only they didn't exactly read Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun.  
  
"Heero…Hotaru…are they Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun? Were they the reincarnations the prophecy spoke of?" Marielle asked softly. The tomb began to spin, the light from her fluorescent lamp distorting the images on the walls. She saw five big robot-like machines, with a figure standing in front of each of them. She saw a group of four women dressed in odd outfits. And last, she saw a figure laughing…laughing…laughing. And with that last image, Marielle collapsed, only to forget everything she saw when she woke up.  
  
'It has begun.' 


	2. 2Hotaru's awakening

"Cartouche"  
  
by Makura Kirei  
  
Summary: An ancient prophecy foretelling the rise of Ancient Egypt has set in motion a chain of events that threatens to obliterate our world as we know it. The cartouches of four mysterious people have been uncovered in Tutankhamun's tomb. Next to the cartouches, the prophecy is written. What connection have these four cartouches to the prophecy? Who are the four mysterious people? And what is the prophecy? Stay tuned…  
  
Authors note: the ages for the characters in the fic are as follows:  
  
Hotaru and pilots: 19  
  
Michiru: 22  
  
Haruka: 22  
  
Setsuna: 24  
  
(the reincarnated Egyptians are ageless, but Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun (I believe) were nineteen when 'it' happened (you'll find out about 'it' later in the fic')). By the way – songfic alert! The song is 'Awake' by Godsmack, and I thought it fit in perfectly with the theme of my story. Any other song ideas would be welcome. I really recommend Awake, by Godsmack. It's a very good CD (if you like hard rock, that is).  
  
As per the question, yes, it will be a Heero x Hotaru. I have decided to do something that is not along my usual lines. Of course, because I am trying to stay cliché free, this fic will NOT include the following:  
  
Braided baka chase scenes, over-usage of 'omae o korosu', over-usage of the nickname Wu-man, Heero suddenly becoming a talkative, sensitive human being under the influence of lead female, Usagi, inners, falling through portals by accident, Mamoru cheating on Usagi, sixth pilot, assassins, bounty hunting, mermaids, pirates, vampires, werewolves, angels, Greek gods, everyone regaining their 'real' memories of the silver millennium, Relena getting seriously injured or maimed (as much as I would like to see it happen), pilots throwing themselves upon lead female and (in essence) shouting every man for himself, extremely lengthy descriptions of characters' looks (unless absolutely necessary), Usagi suddenly becoming the 'real' her (aka smart, mature, and strong (as much as it is tempting to put)), no Heero and lead female rooming together in a dormitory, abusive family/Mamoru, weird dreams, triangles of Duo, Heero and lead female, weak onna comments, lead female and Wufei duking it out and Wufei subsequently getting beaten, 'who are you and who do you work for?' comments, Usagi revolutionizing Heero's outlook on life, Mamoru being evil, Relena being evil, Chaos coming back, Beryl coming back, any other villains from BSSM coming back, Treize being alive, the conflict taking place during Endless Waltz, Setsuna screwing up the flow of time, betrayals by the inners and/or the outers, Rei going out with Mamoru behind Usagi's back, the senshi becoming more powerful than they could ever imagine, evil twins, haunted houses, chat rooms, Mamoru not really being who we think he is, dub names, suddenly things happening, Usagi landing on people, ancient books, pop songfics, lead female becoming musician/actress/whatever, Usagi and Relena being the same person, Usagi having a talking tiger/wolf/other fierce animal, "A/U's" that aren't really A/U's, Usagi undergoing a revolutionary 180 degree personality change, Usagi wishing upon the ginzuishou, resulting in it taxing her so much that she dies and gets transported to another dimension, no inter-dimensional crossovers, and, finally, NO SELF INSERTS!  
  
The character Marielle is actually a very close friend of mine who loves anime as well. She put me in one of her fics (I got to bash she-who-must- not-be-named), so I put her in mine. She's very glad that I'm doing a Heero x Hotaru, as she absolutely detests Heero x Usagi. Anyway, if you can think of any more clichés that I forgot to add, please let me know. And now, on with the fic.  
  
Previously on "Cartouche":  
  
"Heero…Hotaru…are they Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun? Were they the reincarnations the prophecy spoke of?" Marielle asked softly. The tomb began to spin, the light from her fluorescent lamp distorting the images on the walls. She saw five big robot-like machines, with a figure standing in front of each of them. She saw a group of four women dressed in odd outfits. And last, she saw a figure laughing…laughing…laughing. And with that last image, Marielle collapsed, only to forget everything she saw when she woke up.  
  
'It has begun.'  
  
It was just another ordinary day at the museum. Well, besides the alarm being tripped and everyone stampeding for the exits. Yep, just another ordinary day. Hotaru sighed, looking wistfully out the window at the huge grass lawn outside the museum. It was a beautiful sunny day, and here she was stuck inside a museum, rehashing things that she already knew. Apparently, Mugen's spotless record of academic excellence ended at high school.  
  
Hotaru looked around the large room. Her history class was studying ancient Egypt, so instead of being cooped up in a stuffy classroom, as her professor had put, they could get a 'hands on' experience in a museum.  
  
Hotaru rolled her eyes. Being cooped up in a stuffy, crowded room with thousand year old mummies and her, shall we say, intelligence challenged classmates was not exactly a thrilling prospect.  
  
'Don't get me wrong,' Hotaru thought. 'I love Ancient Egypt. I just hate being in museums with my class.'  
  
Hotaru was 19 now, and she had changed greatly from the pale, fragile senshi that fought in the battle with Chaos. That was 5 years ago, and Hotaru had blossomed into a beautiful, mature, intelligent, strong young woman. She still lived with Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna, although Setsuna was hardly ever home, what with being the guardian of time and all.  
  
Still, she got by, even without the inners. Frankly, as Hotaru matured, she rather disliked the bubbly, cheerful, ditzy, boy-crazy attitude of the inners, especially Usagi. Sure, it had been alright when she was 11 and Usagi saved her from Pharaoh 90, but people change. Not even Chibi-Usa remained her friend.  
  
'Oh well. You win some, you lose some.' Thought Hotaru. Her mind returned to the noise and cacophony of the museum. Her eyes wandered around the museum, searching for something that would take her mind off the lesson.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, a tiny little artifact caught her attention. It was all the way in the back of the room, in the darkest corner, obviously neglected by the caretaker. The case was covered in dust, and it looked as if no one had dusted it in years. Hotaru immediately liked the artifact; it was like her. she was a loner, not caring much for company. Hotaru walked to the back of the room, towards the tiny artifact. Something about it aroused her curiosity. There was something…special.  
  
Hotaru rubbed her sleeve on the glass case, clearing away some of the dust. A cloud rose from the case, making Hotaru cough violently. When the dust cleared, a cracked artifact appeared. Or rather, a work of art appeared. It was a scene drawn onto a roll of papyrus; it was of a female and a male. No, make that a king and queen; Hotaru could tell by the cartouches. Who ever they were they were very important. She glanced down at the description of the artifact.  
  
It read: 'Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun. From Tutankhamun's book of the dead; generously donated by A. H.' Hotaru frowned. Who was A. H.? Her gaze returned to the relic. Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun were seated on their thrones, flanked by…High Priest Aye and General Horemheb, Hotaru read. She stared hard at the four figures. There was something about Aye and Horemheb that didn't look quite right. They looked…shifty. Sneaky, even. Hotaru frowned. But wasn't Egyptian art supposed to be idealized? How could they portray somebody as being shifty, especially in the single most important text in Tutankhamun's lifetime? 'It's probably all in my imagination.' Hotaru thought.  
  
She gazed unwaveringly at the image of Ankhesenamun. Why, she didn't know. There was something about it that drew her to it. Hotaru shivered. Was it just her, or had the temperature in the room suddenly dropped around 10 degrees?  
  
Suddenly, an electrical current ran through Hotaru, making the hairs on her neck stand up. she stood, shocked, unmoving, still gazing at Ankhesenamun.  
  
Flash  
  
//Wait another minute//  
  
//Can't you see what this pain has f****n' done to me?//  
  
//I'm alive.//  
  
In Hotaru's mind, she was transported to a realm of fog. She stood there, looking about for the one who had called her there. A mysterious voice called out to her. this would have been nothing more than ordinary, except for the fact that the voice was speaking in Arabic. At least, that's the closest language Hotaru could think of.  
  
The voice went on and on and on in 'Arabic' for a few more minutes. Then, it began speaking English.  
  
"Hotaru…" The voice sounded constrained, as if the speaker was in pain.  
  
"Hotaru…" It began again. "Senshi of Saturn…Queen."  
  
In the real world, Hotaru's body stiffened as her eyes glazed over.  
  
//And still kickin'//  
  
//What you see I can't see//  
  
//And maybe you'll think before you speak.//  
  
"We are alive again." The lilting voice whispered.  
  
This time, standing in the fog-world, Hotaru found the strength to speak. "Who are you?" She yelled, twisting her head this way and that.  
  
"SILENCE!" Another voice roared. "How dare you ask questions? You are not in a position to know what you seek just yet! Do not be impertinent!"  
  
Hotaru bowed her head. 'Who are these two?' She thought.  
  
"Here, mistress of Saturn, let me show you what you cannot see by yourself." The first voice said gently. The fog parted, and two figures were revealed to be standing there.  
  
Hotaru lifted her head, and edged closer to the two.  
  
"You would like to know who we are?" The figure on the left asked quietly. Hotaru nodded. "We are you." 'Okay…very cryptic.' Hotaru thought, her brow furrowing.  
  
//I'm alive//  
  
//For you I'm awake//  
  
//Because of you I'm alive//  
  
//Told you I'm awake//  
  
//Smothering you//  
  
"We are each one half of you; the part of your soul that was locked away until now. If you will allow us, we will explain who we are. But be prepared. You might not like it." The figure gestured to the one on the right.  
  
//Take another second//  
  
//Turn your back on me and make believe that you'll always have me//  
  
//It's safe to say//  
  
//You're never alive a big part of you has died//  
  
//And by the way I hope you're satisfied//  
  
"You are the guardian of the planet Saturn. You are an outer senshi, one with immense powers. Well, I am king. I am Osiris, king of gods." Osiris said majestically. "You are Egyptian. You are an Egyptian queen, so I am part of you, because I am royal as well. What makes you special is that you are the only queen to be reincarnated; that is the reason for all of this. Well, partly because of that." Osiris finished.  
  
"And I am your other half; I am Ankhesenamun, your previous incarnation. We have awakened because of the ancient prophecy; it was made at the time of your husband's death, and…"  
  
"Wait. I had a husband?" Hotaru cut off Ankhesenamun. "Oh, wait, Ankhesenamun did have a husband. Wasn't it Tutankhamun?" Hotaru finished, more to herself than to Osiris and Ankhesenamun.  
  
"Yes, and he has been reincarnated as well. But back to the prophecy. It was made after Tutankhamun died, murdered by his closest friends. A loyal priestess of Amun was struck with a vision; Egypt would rise again in the future to reclaim the rulers it lost due to the treachery of its most trusted officials. In short, because Tutankhamun's rule was cut short, he and you were going to be given a second chance. The priestess, knowing that unless it was written in the tomb, Tutankhamun's and your bodies would not rise again, made sure that the prophecy was written on the walls of your tombs. But, unfortunately, the two who murdered Tutankhamun discovered the prophecy, and underwent special rituals so that they would be reincarnated as well, in order to claim Egypt for themselves." Ankhesenamun explained.  
  
"Who were the two people who murdered Tutankhamun?" Hotaru asked.  
  
"Aye, the high priest of Amun, and General Horemheb, commander of Tutankhamun's army." Osiris answered for Ankhesenamun.  
  
"And who were they reincarnated as, and how exactly do you raise and claim Egypt?" Hotaru queried.  
  
"As to the first question, we have no idea. Only when the three others are awakened will we know who they were in their past lives. And as to the second, there are four artifacts that you and Tutankhamun must gather; together, they form a key, which will unlock the gates of the underworld. From there, you must journey into the underworld and reach the throne of Osiris before Aye and Horemheb do. There, whomever possesses the key will be rewarded Egypt. But the path to the underworld is fraught with danger, and it is possible that you might not make it out alive. Plus, Aye and Horemheb could steal the key from you, and unlock Egypt themselves." Ankhesenamun said.  
  
"Where are the four artifacts, and how will I know who Tutankhamun is?" Hotaru questioned Osiris and Ankhesenamun.  
  
"No one knows where all of the artifacts are; they have been scattered across the globe. But the artifact in front of you is the key; it will lead to to all four artifacts." Ankhesenamun said.  
  
"You will meet Tutankhamun in this very place two days from now, at 11:00am. You will meet him in front of this case. When you see anyone who looks like he might be Tutankhamun, walk up to him and say 'Egypt lives again.' If he responds 'As do her enemies.', he is Tutankhamun. You will work from there." Osiris said.  
  
Hotaru closed her eyes, slowly processing all the information she just received. "How does the key work?" She asked, eyes closed.  
  
"That we cannot tell you. You and Tutankhamun must find that out on your own. But if you ever need us, we will help you if possible. Simply say our names, and someone will come to help." Ankhesenamun said.  
  
"And now, Hotaru, we must depart. But remember: the four objects are the key…" Osiris' voice faded as he and Ankhesenamun disappeared in the fog.  
  
With a start, Hotaru found herself back in the real world. She looked at the papyrus roll in front of her. 'So that's the key.' She thought. 'See you in two days.' She thought, and walked out the door.  
  
'She has been awakened.' 


	3. 3Duo's awakening and a hint of the futur...

'Cartouche'

by Makura Kirei

Chapter 3 – Aye and Horemheb.

I'm baaaaaaaa-aaaaaaack!! After nearly a month without the internet, I finally got it set up. Um, I moved, in case you were wondering.

Author's note: this story is A/U as far as the dimensions are concerned. The archaeologist lives in a different dimension than the pilots and the senshi, who both live in the same dimension. WARNING: DUO AND WUFEI ARE EVIL IN THIS FIC!!!! Before you kill me, I want you to read through this chapter, and see how I make them evil. If you disagree with how I do it, by all means, you are welcome to flame me, but just read it before you make a judgment. Both Nanashi no More and Mudpie thought it was good, and they are _obsessed_ with Wufei and Duo. 

Also, I will be drawing out the bad qualities of both Wufei and Duo to the extreme. The reason for this is I am sick of people romanticizing the characters, as if they had not one flaw in them (except for the aforementioned cliches). So, in accordance of making Wufei and Duo's past lives evil, I'm making them _slightly_ evil as well (emphasis on slightly) (before they actually realize who they were). For example, Duo will be more childish and vindictive, and Wufei will be more quick to judge and competitive. If you study both Wufei and Duo's characters very carefully, you will see the beginnings of these traits. All I'm doing is airing them out for all the world to see.

So, anyway, on with the fic.

Previously on Cartouche:

"You will meet Tutankhamun in this very place two days from now, at 11:00am. You will meet him in front of this case. When you see anyone who looks like he might be Tutankhamun, walk up to him and say 'Egypt lives again.' If he responds 'As do her enemies.', he is Tutankhamun. You will work from there." Osiris said. 

Hotaru closed her eyes, slowly processing all the information she just received. "How does the key work?" She asked, eyes closed.

"That we cannot tell you. You and Tutankhamun must find that out on your own. But if you ever need us, we will help you if possible. Simply say our names, and someone will come to help." Ankhesenamun said.

"And now, Hotaru, we must depart. But remember: the four objects are the key…" Osiris' voice faded as he and Ankhesenamun disappeared in the fog.

With a start, Hotaru found herself back in the real world. She looked at the papyrus roll in front of her. 'So that's the key.' She thought. 'See you in two days.' She thought, and walked out the door.

'She has been awakened.'

1 day later

bang bang

Shots rang out as Duo furtively tried to escape Heero's wrath. "But all I did was type on your laptop!" He called over his shoulder, sprinting along the halls of Quatre's mansion. 

"You deleted the file on the new OZ faction! Remember how much trouble we had to go through to get it?" Heero yelled, his anger overtaking him as he tried to shoot Duo's braid off.

Flashback

Shots rang out as Duo, Wufei and Heero ran for their lives, trying to escape the group of soldiers hot on their heels. 

"Nataku to Sandrock. Repeat, Nataku to Sandrock. Where the fuck are you Winner?!" Wufei yelled into a walkie-talkie as he sliced through a couple of soldiers with his katana. 

The walkie-talkie crackled with static. Wufei could barely make out what was being said. 

"…out…detonate…" Through the static, Wufei could hear shots ring out. "…early…danger…"

Wufei turned to Duo mid-sprint, who was lagging behind trying to fend off 14 soldiers. "Haul ass Maxwell!" He snarled.

KABOOOOOM

A huge explosion rocked the base as Wufei, Heero and Duo were flung sideways. Unfortunately for them, the steel wall broke their fall.

End Flashback

'Oh yeah.' Duo remembered as he dived into a nearby room and locked the door. He dived behind a bed as bullets tore through the wooden door. 'All I did was delete a file. No big deal, right? I mean, why does he always pick on me?' Duo thought to himself, his thoughts turning to anger. 'What got stuck up his ass? He always threatens to kill me, he's always shooting at me; he thinks I'm an idiot… What kind of a friend is that?' Duo thought, getting more angry by the second. 

Outside, seeing that his bullets were getting him nowhere, Heero stopped shooting through the door and retired to his lair (otherwise known as his bedroom) to do god knows what.

Hearing the noise of Heero's gun stop, Duo stretched from his crouching position behind a bed, and yawned. Suddenly, he felt his body stiffen involuntarily. Then, flash, he was transported to a world of fog, much like Hotaru's. Duo, still frozen in his position, looked around, his eyes darting here and there. He felt a slight breeze wash over his body. It sent chills up and down his spine. 

A figure loomed in the shadows. Duo tried frantically to unfreeze his body, but to no avail. The figure drew cever closer, the fog gradually beginning to thin. At last, with Duo looking on, the figure became clear. It was a man, dressed in a leopard skin that barely covered his entire body. His head was shaved, and he looked to be about in his late twenties, early thirties. Finally, Duo felt his body unstiffen. He immediatley crouched into a defensive stance, his hand at his pocket, where his gun was stored. The figure shook his head. 

"No need for that, Duo." He said quietly. He raised a finger (no, not THAT finger) and slowly but surely, Duo felt his gun rise out of his pocket. It zoomed away from him, and dropped at the man's feet. "There is no need for violence; I come in peace. I wish you no harm; quite the opposite, as a matter of fact." The man said smoothly, stepping forward.

"I have five words for you: who, what, when, where, why?"

The man cleared his throat. "Who: I am you. I am Ay, high priest of Amun. You are me, reincarnated. I am from ancient egypt; I lived during the rule of king Tutankhamun. Once again: In your past life, you were me, the high priest of Amun during Tutankhamun's reign."

"You mean king Tut? Dead egyptian king who lived centuries ago? How can you possibly expect me to believe that?" Duo asked, arms folded. 

"Why not?"

"Well, here's the thing. Somehow, you 'transported' me to another dimension. That alone is incredible. And, without even giving a reason, you expect me to believe not only that I had a past life, but that I had a past life in Egypt, and you are myself, reincarnated. And you also expect me to believe that I was a high priest of some deity that I've never heard of before, and that I lived under king Tutankhamun? Now doesn't that sound a bit, oh, unrealistic to you?" Duo asked sarcastically.

"Haven't you always been the religious type? I am a priest, and if I'm not mistaken, you lived in a church for most of your life. And, you associate yourself with the god of death. My ruling deity, and in fact, my entire religion was involved with the god of death and life after death. I, like you, lived under the protection of the religious leaders most of my life. But then, something changed my entire outlook on life." 

"What was it?" Duo asked.

"I'd rather not tell you. Let's  just say that Tutankhamun was at the center of the incident. At any rate, I swore revenge on my so-called leader. We used to be friends, but now…And, I can tell that you're feeling certain emotions toward your appointed leader, Heero. When was the last time he ever showed anything that could even remotely be considered friendship towards you? What has he ever done for you?" Ay narrowed his eyes, seeming to project what Duo was feeling. 

Duo shifted from one foot to the other, considering this information. "Okay, so maybe there is a certain degree of similarity between our two lives. Maybe it's even possible that I am you…but why have you chosen to tell me this _now_?" Duo said suspiciously. 

"Because, my dear boy, you and Horemheb are positioned to be the rulers of new Egypt." Ay stated, as if it was obvious.

"New Egypt?"

"Oh, I neglected to tell you of the prophecy. Basically, it states that whoever collects the four artifacts will be able to unlock the gates of the underworld and reach the throne of Osiris. There, whoever possesses the four artifacts (which form a key) will be awarded the kingdom of New Egypt to rule over."

"Ooookay…" Duo paused. "Who's Horemheb?"

"Horemheb was the commander of Tutankhamun's vast army. Like me, he hated Tutankhamun too, though for a different reason. He never did tell me why. But at any rate, Horemheb and I underwent a special ritual so that we could be reincarnated at the same time as Tutankhamun, so that he wouldn't get another chance to rule. In this life, I believe Horemheb is the one you call Wufei."


	4. 4The meeting

'Cartouche'

by Makura Kirei

chapter 4: Wufei and Horemheb

Author's note: I started a little project last week. What I've been doing is I've been writing down stupid and weird quotes from my classmates, overheard conversations, and just quotes in general that I find funny. Here's a sample:

"Volleyball is NOT a game! Be serious!"

"--Freckles don't bleed.

--They don't?"

"I'm a wildebeest. Caw, caw, caw!"

"We're going to hell. Care to join us?"

So far, I've collected 11 pages…I was wondering if any of you people out there in readerland would like to contribute any quotes that you think are as funny, stupid or just downright nonsensical as the above quotes. If so, please e-mail me @ SakuraWing01@aol.com. Any types of quotes are welcome.  

GW and SM exist in the same dimension. Don't ask me how that's possible, it just _is_.

That's pretty much it. Oh, one other thing. Is it too much to ask for 5 reviews per chapter? PLEASE? I don't mean to be demanding or anything, but it would be nice to know that at least 5 people care enough about my story to let me know what they think. So, remember, 5 reviews per chapter, or they'll keep getting shorter.

Previously on Cartouche:

"Because, my dear boy, you and Horemheb are positioned to be the rulers of new Egypt." Ay stated, as if it was obvious.

"New Egypt?"

"Oh, I neglected to tell you of the prophecy. Basically, it states that whoever collects the four artifacts will be able to unlock the gates of the underworld and reach the throne of Osiris. There, whoever possesses the four artifacts (which form a key) will be awarded the kingdom of New Egypt to rule over."

"Ooookay…" Duo paused. "Who's Horemheb?"

"Horemheb was the commander of Tutankhamun's vast army. Like me, he hated Tutankhamun too, though for a different reason. He never did tell me why. But at any rate, Horemheb and I underwent a special ritual so that we could be reincarnated at the same time as Tutankhamun, so that he wouldn't get another chance to rule. In this life, I believe Horemheb is the one you call Wufei."

Meanwhile, back in the real world…

(I'll just skip over Wufei's induction as Horemheb. I don't want to be feeding you the same thing again. Let's just say that Wufei and Horemheb both thirst for power, and Heero and Tutankhamun are the highest figures of authority (and power). The next paragraph starts in the museum, 2 days after Hotaru learns who she is.)

Hotaru sighed. She ran over the conversation in her mind. "You will meet Tutankhamun in this very place two days from now, at 11:00am. You will meet him in front of this case. When you see anyone who looks like he might be Tutankhamun, walk up to him and say 'Egypt lives again.' If he responds 'As do her enemies.', he is Tutankhamun. You will work from there." Osiris said. 

Well, it was 11:15, and so far, none of her prospective Tutankhamuns had answered with anything other than a 'huh?', 'what?', or 'get away from me, freak!'. As if a strange girl approaching them and saying 'Egypt lives again' would provoke any other reaction.

'Great, now I'm the resident lunatic. What else could go wrong?' Hotaru thought, looking at her watch again. 11:16. Whoever this Tutankhamun was, he was _not_ very punctual. 

She leaned back against the glass case, sighing intermittently as she stared at the door. 'What do they mean: looks like Tutankhamun? I've never seen him before in my…well, this life!' Hotaru rolled her eyes.

Yet another teenage boy walked through the door. Lean and evil-looking (AN: forgive me, Heero), with chocolate brown hair and icy blue eyes that glared at anything that moved, Hotaru fervently hoped that _this_ was not her past husband. 'Just wait and see if he makes his way over here.' Hotaru thought. 'If not, then he isn't Tutankhamun, and I'm none the worse for wear.'

But, oh horror of horrors, the boy slowly began to make his way over to Hotaru's little corner. 'Shit.' Hotaru swallowed hard, and waited until he was standing about a foot away from him. She walked up, tapped him on his shoulder, and murmured, "Egypt lives again." Hotaru crossed her fingers. 

The boy looked taken aback for a split second. 'Oh thank god,' Hotaru thought, before he muttered, "As do her enemies."

They stared at each other, not sure what to do. All Osiris had said was 'you'll work from there' and that was it. Hotaru shifted uncomfortably. The boy's stare was unnerving her. He seemed to be staring into her soul. 

"You're late." Hotaru said the first thing that popped into her head, then blushed at the stupidity. 'God, how ditzy can you get?' She chided herself.

"No."

'Not very talkative.' Hotaru noticed. "Yes you are; it's 11:17. you were supposed to be here by 11:00."

"Your watch is fast." He said.

"I highly doubt that." Hotaru said, miffed. Already she was beginning to dislike this guy.

"My watch has atomic time." He thrust his watch in her hand. 11:01:48. 

Hotaru shrugged. "Fine." 

"You were the one who brought it up."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. So, what's your name?" She asked, trying to be friendly. 

"Hn."

Maybe she didn't hear right. "I'm sorry?" Hotaru smiled just a bit.

"Hn." He repeated. 

Hotaru's smile became strained. 'What the hell?' "Why won't you answer me?"

"Hn." 

"Great. Homo-habilis, I presume? Look. It's bad enough that you are supposedly the reincarnation of my past husband. I really don't mind the bit about the watch, or the fact that your stare creeps me out, but when you refuse to answer my simple question in anything but a grunt, I start to get a little pissed. Add to all of that the fact that we supposedly are going to rule an ancient kingdom together, and you won't even tell me your fucking name. So, I ask it of you, stranger, have the common courtesy (at least it _should_ be common) to tell me your name, before I let Egypt fall to Horemheb and Aye and be done with it!" Hotaru's voice rose with the last sentence, and she finished her tirade, glaring at him.

His face didn't show anything. It was unreadable. Hotaru thought she caught the faintest glimmer of a smile, but it disappeared almost as quickly as she thought she saw it. 

"Ore wa Yuy Heero." He said it so quietly Hotaru almost didn't catch it. She relaxed, and smiled.

"Great. Now that that's out of the way, I'm Hotaru Tomoe. What do you say we go to the coffee shop across the street to work all of this out?" Hotaru offered. 

"Hn." Heero grunted and headed out the door.

"Great." Hotaru sighed. 

( I could end it there, but I won't.)

"Okay," Hotaru said as they sat down at a table, "who are you? I think we should both get to know each other if we're supposed to be working together to defeat the ubiquitous villains who want to (gasp) take over the world."

Again, Hotaru thought she saw the glimmer of a smile, but it disappeared quickly, like a mirage. He shifted his gaze to the window, at the passerby. His face was unreadable; 'like a soldier should look;' Hotaru thought. He looked back at her. His eyes bored into her; if they were windows into the soul, the curtains were closed on his.

Hotaru shifted uncomfortably. "Well, why don't I start, since you seem to be having trouble answering. I'm Hotaru Tomoe; I'm 20, and I go to Mugen College. I don't have any job or occupation, per se…" Hotaru shifted uncomfortably. There was that stare again. "Look, I never do this with people I've just met, but I don't think we should keep secrets, especially if we are supposedly the Earth's only hope." Her voice dropped. "I was, and still am, one of the 10 sailor senshi. Sailor Saturn, to be precise. I am the princess of Saturn, and I am one of the Moon princess's warriors. I fight evil in this short, hideous little miniskirt, and I have special powers. I can shoot balls of energy from my glaive. I have a long and bloody past. I am the most powerful outer senshi; I am the equal of Sailor Moon; she can create worlds, and I can destroy them. I have not had to fight for the past 6 years; there haven't been any more hell-bent villains from outer space (not that I recall, anyway). Um, I had another past life as one of the princesses of Sailor Moon's court during the silver millenium. Other than that, my life is prettty uneventful." Hotaru finished, smiling with the last bit. 

What the hell was she doing? Pouring out ALL of her secrets to some stranger she just met a few minutes ago? For she knew, he could be another hell-bent villain, and she just gave away her secret identity. Baka baka baka!

She looked up at Heero, expecting to see his mouth hanging open. But, there was that stare…glare…again. She would have at least expected him to show surprise, but no, there was nothing. Dammit! "Don't you ever show any emotion?" She wondered aloud, then covered her mouth.

"It's part of my training." He answered, after a lengthy pause. 

Hotaru frowned. "Well?" Hotaru asked expectantly. "What to you have to say about my, um, colorful past?" 

"Hn." Was his response.

"Well, I would expect more of a response. Usually, when people find out I'm a senshi, they act surprised, to say at least. You must have an incredibly unusual past for you not to even blink an eye." Hotaru said, raising her eyebrows.

Heero looked up sharply. His eyes narrowed. Hotaru drew back a bit. He returned to his normal glare. "Sailor Saturn." He said. "Show me." He commanded.

Hotaru eyed him, making sure there was no innuendo concealed in there. When she was satisfied, she asked, "If I do, will you tell me who you are?"

He nodded. "Got any secluded place you could take me to?" She asked. Without a word, he got up and walked out. Hotaru followed. 

"Get on." He indicated his motorcycle. 'He must have parked it here before he came into the museum.' Hotaru thought as she got on behind him. He handed her a helmet, waited for her to put it on, then took off. Hotaru gasped at the sudden rush, and instinctively put her arms around his waist to steady herself. She blushed at the closeness, but Heero seemed to be unaffected. Presently they arrived at a mobile suit hangar. Heero stopped, got off, and motioned for her to follow him. 

The hangar was completely empty. Not even a mobile suit, or a part of that one, for that matter, could be found. "I guess you really meant secluded." She said.

Heero walked back a few feet. "Transform." He commanded.

Hotaru sighed. "Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you though; I'm warning you now. Saturn Star Power!" She henshined, and stood in full form, glaive in hand. "Well? What do you want me to do?" She asked.

"Hn." 

"Fine. Whatever." She shrugged, and shot a ball of purple energy from her glaive. (gomen; I haven't watched Sailor Moon in 2 years and I can't remember any attacks (although it's not that big of a loss) (shudder)).

  "Anything else?" She asked, only to be met with a right hook. Onlythrough her quick reflexes did she manage to block it. "What the hell was that?" She yelled, only to be met with a flurry of punches. Apparently Heero wanted to test her hand to hand combat ability. Hotaru shrugged, and parried and blocked, and landed quite a few punches of her own. As much as the ones Heero managed to land. They were evenly matched. Heero stopped, panting SLIGHTLY. Hotaru stopped too, looking at him. "Anything else?" Heero shook his head. 

"Great. Now that that's over, who are you?" Hotaru asked, de-henshining. 

"Heero Yuy. Gundam Pilot 01." He stated simply. Hotaru's jaw dropped. No wonder he was unfazed. The perfect soldier; the infamous 01. Cool.

"So that's why." Hotaru said thoughtfully. "So now what? What do you suppose we do about the artifacts? And the fact that the key is under lock and key, no pun intended?" Hotaru asked, cocking her head to one side. "Do you know who Aye and Horemheb are?"

"No. Tonight, when the museum closes, we infiltrate and steal the parchment before they obtain it." Heero said. 

"Now normally I would object to stealing, but I suppose it is justified." Hotaru said. "I trust you have the necessary equipment?"

"Hai."

"Good. I'll meet you in front of the museum at 7:00pm. That should give both of us ample time to fix affairs and get equipment." Hotaru said. "Could you give me a ride back to the museum?" She asked.

He nodded, and got on the motorcycle. They sped towardds the museum, each wondering what fate had in store for their future.

Remember, 5 reviews or less chapters!


	5. 5Operation Desert Storm

"Cartouche"

By Makura Kirei (which is NOT my real name, by the way)

Chapter 5 - Operation Desert Storm (AN: not really) (god, I detest politics) (especially Bush (::shudder::)) 

New quote: "Britney Spears is a bad vampire!"

Well, since all of you out there in readerland met my quota, here is the next installment of my "under influence" story (AN: No, I never plan to touch alchohol or drugs. EVER.) It's more like under influence of artificial sweeteners.

Yawn…so tired.

Enjoy!

Previously on "Cartouche":

"So now what? What do you suppose we do about the artifacts?

And the fact that the key is under lock and key, no pun intended?" Hotaru asked, cocking her head to one side. "Do you know who Aye and Horemheb are?"

"No. Tonight, when the museum closes, we infiltrate and steal the parchment before they obtain it." Heero said. 

"Now normally I would object to stealing, but I suppose it is justified." Hotaru said. "I trust you have the necessary equipment?"

"Hai."

"Good. I'll meet you in front of the museum at 7:00pm. That should give both of us ample time to fix affairs and get equipment." Hotaru said. "Could you give me a ride back to the museum?" She asked.

He nodded, and got on the motorcycle. They sped towards the museum, each wondering what fate had in store.

Later

"Haruka? Michiru? You there?" Hotaru yelled as she flung her bag on the floor. She peered up the stairs. "I'm home!" Still no response. Sighing, Hotaru plunked herself on the nearby sofa. "Must've gone shopping." She muttered. "Wonder if Setsuna's home?" Hotaru thought aloud. "No, she's probably still at the Gates." Hotaru

checked her watch. 2:00. 'Great, I have 4 hours to kill before I have to go back and steal an artifact from the local museum. What a day.' Hotaru thought. 'I wonder who Horemheb and Aye are. They must've heard by now.' 

Hotaru leaned back, and closed her eyes. She recalled Ankhesenamun's words. "…if you ever need us, we will help you if possible. Simply say our names, and someone will come to help." 

"I wonder if they know by now who Aye and Horemheb are?" Hotaru wondered aloud. "Maybe I should just ask. Ankhesenamun! Osiris!" Hotaru yelled, standing up and looking up to the ceiling, as if praying to the heavens.

Nothing.

"Fabulous. What a load of shit." Hotaru muttered, by now thoroughly incensed. She sat back down, only to feel something sharp. "Ow!" Hotaru sprung up, and turned around. There, on the seat of the sofa, was a paint brush and parchment. 

**__**

What is thy desire?

The parchment read. (okay, so I couldn't resist the Outlaw Star reference). Hotaru raised her eyebrow. "Right. Okay, so am I supposed to just write it?" Hotaru asked the air. 

Who have Aye and Horemheb been reincarnated as?

Hotaru wrote. Slowly but surely, the words appeared on the parchment, as if written by an invisible hand.

**__**

The two known as Aye and Horemheb have been reincarnated as Duo Maxwell and Chang Wufei, respectively.

'Boy, whoever's writing this sure has a flair for legal jargon.' Hotaru thought with a smile.

Thank you.

**__**

What is thy desire?

The parchment asked again. Hotaru frowned.

Who are Duo Maxwell and Chang Wufei?

Hotaru asked. The parchment took some time before responding.

**__**

Duo Maxwell is from colony L2. He is the pilot of gundam 02, also known as Deathscythe Hell. Chang Wufei is from colony L5. He is the pilot of gundam 05, also known as Altron.

Hotaru's eyes widened. But didn't Heero say he was a gundam pilot? So he knows these people? Good kami.

**__**

What is thy desire?

Hotaru stared at the parchment.

That's all, thank you.

She wrote. As soon as she had penned the period, the parchment, along with the pen, crumbled into a fine powder that dissipated as if blown by an unseen wind. Hotaru stared up at the ceiling. 'I wonder what Heero's doing now. Is there any way to warn him?' Hotaru thought, still staring pensively at the ceiling.

As if in answer to her prayers, a mirror appeared out of nowhere, floating just above Hotaru's head. "Okay, now this is getting weird." Hotaru said, grasping the mirror. Looking into it, she saw a figure riding on a motorcycle. 'That must be Heero.' Heero, for now it was certain that that was indeed him on the motorcycle, sped along, occasionally checking over his shoulder, as if looking for someone…or something, that might be following him. He braked to halt. He looked first one way, then the other. Satisfied that he was, indeed, alone, Heero made a sharp turn off the road onto a dirt path.

Meanwhile

Brrrrrrrrrrrring. Brrrrrrrrrrrring. Brrrrrrrrring. Duo sighed. 'Of all the times…' He thought furiously. He banged his fist against the pay phone.

He heard the phone being picked up on the other line. "Moshi moshi, Preventers Headquarters, Sally Po speaking."

"Sally!" Duo sighed in relief. "Thank kami I found you."

"Duo?" Sally asked, sounded bemused. "What on Earth possesed you to call me? Wait, don't tell me…you need money, so you want to work for the preventers." she said astringently

"No, Sally, it's not like that. I need to find Wufei. Do you happen to know where he might be?" Duo asked, crossing his fingers.

There was silence on the other line. 

"Sally? Hello?" Duo pleaded into the mouthpiece.

"Hai, Duo. As it happends, Wufei just left an hour ago. He said something about Ancient Egypt." Sally said, sounding doubtful.

Duo cursed. "Godammit! Ano…do you know where he went?"

"He said he was going to the nearby public library. He didn't say when he'd be back." Sally said. "What's going on, Duo?" she asked, a note of suspicion creeping into her voice.

"Nothing's going on, I swear!" Duo sweatdropped. "It just so happens I'm in town. Do you know where the library is?"

"Sure. 241 West End Drive." Sally said. "Sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Maa, maa, daijobu. Domo arigato, Sally." Duo said gratefully. "Ja ne." and with that, he hung up the phone, signaled a taxi, and sped toward 241 West End Drive.

AN: I know, I know, a lot of unfinished business, but I'm REALLY tired. I promise I'll write more next chapter (if there IS a next chapter) (bwahahaha). Ja ne, readers!

Remember, REVIEWS=UPDATES.


	6. More hints and Wufei's plan

Okay, so I've had REALLY bad case of writer's block lately. Sorry I haven't been updating as much as promised, but my life is so hectic now that I find little time to write anyway. But enough of my excuses. Here is the next installment of Cartouche:

Previously on "Cartouche":

"What's going on, Duo?" she asked, a note of suspicion creeping into her voice.

"Nothing's going on, I swear!" Duo sweatdropped. "It just so happens I'm in town. Do you know where the library is?"

"Sure. 241 West End Drive." Sally said. "Sure you're alright?" she asked.

"Maa, maa, daijobu. Domo arigato, Sally." Duo said gratefully. "Ja ne." and with that, he hung up the phone, signaled a taxi, and sped toward 241 West End Drive.

Meanwhile

Hotaru, still looking through the mirror, watched as Heero drove up the dirt path to a dingy wooden…shack, for lack of a better term. It was in a huge state of disrepair, and looked as if no one had visited in a year or so. It looked like one of those cabins that belonged in a trailer park (THAT was really unclear, I know). The paint was peeling, there were holes in the porch, a beam was missing from the roof, and various nests could be seen on the roof. 'Surely that can't be where Heero lives,' Hotaru thought as Heero got off his motorcycle and walked into the hut. The mirror blurred, and when it came back into focus, Hotaru could see inside the hut. There was a laptop, a GPS, and a whole shelf filled with books on what looked like robotics.

'Figures,' thought Hotaru as Heero sat down in front of his laptop and began typing rapidly. 'How the hell do I warn Heero about Duo and Wufei? It's not like I can teleport myself there.' Hotaru peered closer into the mirror at the laptop screen. "God, I wish this thing would zoom in," Hotaru said aloud. Much to her surprise, the mirror complied, zooming in on the laptop screen. 'Weird.' She thought. 

She could see that Heero had accessed the internet using AOL. 'He's probably hacking into some top-secret government site or something,' She thought as a window popped up. Surprise surprise, the window said: access denied. In response, Heero began typing rapidly, and withing a minute, the 'access denied' was replaced by the actual window.

'Wait. If Heero's on the internet…couldn't I e-mail him and tell him about Duo and Wufei?' Hotaru pondered excitedly. "Hey, mirror thingy, does the screen say Heero's e-mail address?" Hotaru asked the mirror. Sure enough, the mirror blurred and focused on the top bar of the window screen. It read 'Welcome, hy01.' 

"Typical," Hotaru muttered as she raced to her computer, still holding the mirror. She logged on and set about writing the e-mail.

Heero-

This is Hotaru. Don't ask me how I know, but Duo and Wufei are Aye and Horemheb, and they're meeting with each other as I type. 

Just thought you'd like to know. 

Oh, and don't ask me how I got this address either. I'm not quite sure myself.

After satisfied that she got the message across, Hotaru typed in the address and sent it. 'I just hope it reaches him in time,' she thought fervently as she returned her gaze to the mirror. "What is Heero trying to find?" she wondered aloud, when, to her astonishment, her picture popped up on the screen, along with her vital statistics, family history, medical history, etc. "Oh, he wants a background check, does he?" Hotaru muttered, furious. "So I'm not trustworthy enough? Ooh, I'm going to give that sonofabitch what's coming to him," she muttered darkly as she glared at Heero.

In the mean time

Duo swallowed nervously as he stared up at the public library. A sense of impending doom washed over him as he thought about what he was going to have to explain…or what Wufei already knew.

Summoning up his last bit of courage, he swallowed his fear and strode purposefully up the steps, threw open the door, looked around, and marched to the table where Wufei was, hunched over a stack of books. He stood next to Wufei, clearing his throat once or twice. Wufei, however, was so engrossed in his 'studies' that he failed to notice Duo, who was apparently having a violent coughing fit.

Duo, seeing his efforts were in vain, sighed and slammed his fist down on the book Wufei was reading. He started up, as a look of surprise spasmed across his face, before he regained control and glared darkly at Duo. "Took you long enough," Wufei snorted as he returned to his book.

Duo sagged, his tension lifted off his shoulders in one fell swoop. "Yeah, well, it took a while to get used to."

"Two days?" Wufei said derisively, still reading.

Duo looked peeved. "So…um…" he shifted uncomfortably. 

"Sit down."

"Oh, right," Duo pulled up the chair. "So, Wufei, whatcha reading?" he asked, some of his cheeriness returning.

"What do you think I'm reading?" Wufei asked irritably. "Oh, never mind." He snapped the book shut and turned to face Duo. "Well, during your two day identity crisis, I have been working nonstop and researching Tutankamun, Ankhesenamun, Aye, and Horemheb. Do you remember when Horemheb"

"Well actually I was visited by Aye," Duo interrupted.

Wufei sighed irascibly. "Fine. Do you remember what Aye said? That there are 4 artifacts to find?"

"…yeah…"

"Well, they neglected to mention that in order to find the four artifacts, we must first possess the key to finding the artifacts."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Now, do you also recall who Aye said Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun were in this life?"

"…no…"

"Well, Horemheb…I mean Aye said that in this life, Ankhesenamun and Tutankhamun were Tomoe Hotaru---and Yuy Heero."

"…oh yeah…"

"So, I tracked down all the places Heero visited within the past 24 hours, and one place in particular caught my eye. It was the Museum of Natural History in Tokyo. Now why would Heero visit a museum?" Wufei prompted Duo.

"Because the key to the artifacts might be on display there?" Duo asked uncertainly.

"Exactly. Now, you know as well as I do that Heero would never attempt to steal anything in broad daylight with plenty of witnesses. My guess is that he'll make a go for it tonight, after the museum closes, which is at 6:00."

"…so, what do you want to do about it?"

"We're going to get there first, steal the key before they do, and then we'll be on our way to finding all 4 artifacts."

"What time should we get there?"

Wufei paused. "Well, I think we should give the museum staff an hour to get out, so I'd say around 7:00."

Duo looked at his watch. "But it's 2:30. What are we supposed to do for 4 and a half hours?"

"Get reading," Wufei said, shoving a book at him.

With a resigned sigh, Duo picked up "Ancient Egypt: A History," and began to read.


End file.
